Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of appliance elevating and storage pedestals and the containment and proper discharge of liquids due to plumbing failure, seal failure, or mechanical failure within a liquid filled appliance such as but not limited to clothes washing machines, condensing clothes dryers, water heaters, dishwashers, refrigerators, icemakers, and similar devices.
Background of the Invention
Damage to building structures and property can result from liquid leakage due to failures within a liquid filled, liquid handling, or liquid generating appliances. The damage can be quite significant especially in multi-family and multi-level structures. This risk of significant damage has also spurred the creation of building codes that require the installation of some system of control to prevent such damage in the event of liquid control failure within a piece of equipment.
The currently accepted method to catch and control leaks is the use of a shallow drip or catch pan that is placed between the appliance and the supporting surface immediately under the appliance. Installations have either no drain or they are plumbed to a drain and flow is accomplished by gravity. This method of control typically has five inherent primary shortcomings.                Machines must be lifted in or out of pan for installation and service.        The shallow pans have limited retention capacity.        When a pan of this configuration is deepened to increase water retention capacity, the machine sits in the reservoir and can be damaged do to corrosion and electrically energized components are exposed to liquids creating potentially dangerous conditions.        The limited reservoir does not support a method for pumping liquids to an elevated drain or standpipe.        It does not address raising the appliance for improved ergonomic benefits.        
This style of pan typically requires the installer or service personnel to lift the appliance vertically in or out of the pan during installation or service of the equipment frequently resulting in damage to the pan or strain and injury to the service personnel or both. Many times it requires two installers or repair personnel to lift the machine in or out of such a pan resulting in higher installation and repair costs. Equipment installations in confined closet type installations are extremely difficult because personal must lift the appliance from multiple sides were there is limited or no access. Installers or repair personnel must lift the entire weight of the appliance plus content mass if the appliance cannot be unloaded or drained.
The shallow cross section of the present ail provides only a minimum liquid retention volume. Increasing height of the perimeter wall can increase the liquid retention volume but exacerbate the aforementioned installation and maintenance issues. Allowing these increased liquid levels can also increase direct damage to the appliance itself and create safety hazards such as liquid levels coming into contact with energized parts or submerging fuel gas supply systems.
Collection pan systems disclosed in the present art do not accommodate a necessary sump or volume area for the incorporation of a pump system to positively discharge liquids collected by the invention to existing plumbing systems regardless of distance or elevation.
With the growing trend of front load washing equipment, a new market has developed for pedestals that raise the level of the machine to a more ergonomically acceptable height. Some of these pedestal designs incorporate additional storage area, usually in the form of a drawer. Raising the height of the machine reduces the stooping and bending necessary to load and unload the machine by the operator. Adjusting the height of such equipment is also a need to meet height requirements set forth by the ADA or Americans with Disabilities Act. The current art in elevating pedestals, such as those used to elevate laundry appliances, provide no means of leak control. The current art in leak control, the drip or catch pan, does not add any measurable height to the appliance installed within it.
The purpose of the present invention is to effectively contain liquid leaks originating from appliances and support devices supported by the invention, provide multiple methods of retention and disposal of the captured liquids, provide for improved ease of installation and maintenance of said equipment, while providing an ergonomic improvement by raising the height of such installations.